Illuminating device



4 1927' y L. J. VOORHEES- ILLUMINATING DEViCE Original Filed June 9, 1920 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

cruise states A 1,513,069 eaten-r QFFIECE.

LEE J. voonnnns, on BINGHAMTON, new Yong. Assie'nort 'r'o' n'ATIonAI; cannon COMPANY, Inc, A CORPORATION or New YORK;

ILLUMInA'rINe nnvrcn.

Original application filed June 9; 1920. Serial No. 387,645. Divided and this application filed October 28, 1922'. Serial No. 597,685.

This invention relates to battery operated hand lamps and has particular reference to improvements in focusing and shock absorbing devices therefor.

The invention comprises an adjustable, device, adapted to carry an incandescent bulb in cooperative relation to a reflector, and having means for retaining its adjusted position and for prei en-ting destructive impacts against the bulb. A; head carrying the reflector and associated parts removable, preferably as a unit, from the battery c'onta'ining. casing to give access to the adjusting deviee.

Reference is to be made to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred form of the invention. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a tubular flashlight provided with the improved focusing and shock absorbing device;

Fig. 2 1; and

is a section along line II-II, Fig.

3 shows in perspective the focusing arm and the cup against the walls of which the end of the focusing arm slides.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a tubular casing containing a battery 2. The casing 1 has a bottom cap 3, provided with a battery-supporting spring 4, and is screw threaded at its upper end to receive a head 5. A reflector 6 is fitted in the head and has a flange 7 overlying its upper edge. A ring 8 is screw threaded upon the upper portion of the head and presses the margin of a lens or plane glass 9 against flange 7. The head, reflector, and glass are thus secured together and may accordingly be handled as a unit.

The reflector 6 is centrallyapertured for the insertion of a sleeve 10, which is internally threaded to. receive a bulb-holder 11 carrying a bulb 12. A cup 13 has a central perforation to permit the passage of the sleeve 10, and is arranged in inverted position beneath the reflector. The sleeve and cup 13 may be rigidly secured to the refiector by upsetting the ends of the sleeve, or in any other suitable way. A. distance piece 14 is interposed between the cup and reflector to maintain them in properly spaced relation. I

An arm 15 is rigidly attached in any suitable way, as by a ring at its inner end, to

the lower portion of bulb-holder 11 and has its outer end 16 bent at a right angle to engage the inner surface the perpendicular wall 1'? of cup 13. End 16 should bear with sufficient friction against the wall 17 to restrain the bulb-holder 11: from acci dental rotation, but at the same time should permit the holder to be rotated with respect to the reflector when it is desired to change the adjustment of the lamp.

T 0 protect the lamp bu'lbl12 fromimpacts, a thick disc 18 of insulating material is rigidly attached to the holder 11 by rolling the metal of the holder into an internally" projecting rib in front of disc 18 and crimping the metal of the holder behind the disc. A metal stud 19 passes through the disc and is rigidly held thereby in insulated relation to the holder 11. Stud 19 is expanded at its lower end to form a shoulder which is in contact with the insulating disc and effectually prevents the stud from sliding under impacts of the battery or other causes. The inner terminal of the bulb'is screwed against stud 19 and the carbon terminal of the battery is normally held firmly against the expanded head of the stud by spring 4.

Since there is no' freedom of movement between the metal stud and the insulating material surrounding it, or between the insulating material and the holder into which it is fastened, it is evident that the bulb is effectively protected. Any impact received upon the stud will be transmitted to the insulating disc and thence to" holder 11, sleeve 10, reflector 6, lamp head 5 and easing 1. So long as there is no fleXure of the disc due to such impact, no pressure can be applied to the base of the bulb 12, and since the disc 18 is of small diameter and relatively thick,

it can readily be made so stiff that nofiexure will take place.

The operation of the flashlight will be readily apparent. In order to focus the bulb, the lamp head is removed, and holder 11 is rotated as desired. veniently done by grasping arm 15 and rotating' it to the proper extent. The friction between the overturned end 16 of arm 15 and the cup wall 17 maintains the adjustment, as previously described. The lamp head may be applied to the casing and battery momentarily, without engagin the threads on the head and casing, in order to This may be most contest the accuracy of the adjustment. lVhen a satisfactory focus is obtained, the lamp head is screwed on the casing to the limit of its travel, the distance between the filament of the bulb and the reflector remaining unchanged during this operation.

A switch 18 and conductor strips 19 and 2O, 01" any suitable type, may be supplied. The end of strip 1S is preferably bentto engage wall 17 of the cup. which is electrically connected to the outer lamp terminal. The invention is not limited, however, to this arrangement, nor to the particular type of flashlig ht or flashlight casing shown herein. For exan'iple, while a casing made of insulating material has been illustrated, it is obvious that a n'ietallic casing may be used instead, insulation being supplied where necessary, in a manner well understood in the art. If desired, also, insulation may be placed between the reflector (i and sleeve 10. or in other suitable position, to prevent accidental closure of the circuit by contact of a conductive body with both the reflector and the switch housing or end cap.

The specific embodiment of the invention shown herein is illustrative of a preferred form only, and various modifications and alternative arrangements of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

The subject matter described and claimed herein is disclosed and broadly claimed in my copending application Serial No. 387,- 645, filed June 9, 1920, of which the present case is a division.

I claim:

1. In a battery-o 'ierated hand lamp, the combination of a battery casing, a reflector carried by said casing and having a threadet part, a threaded bulb-holding; member adjustably coupled to the threaded part of said reflector, and means for operating said memher to cause a bulb carried thereby to take a different position with respect to the reflector while the relative positions ot said reflector and casing remain unchanged.

2. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a battery casing, a battery therein having a contact, a reflector carried by said casing and having a threaded part, a bulb-holder having threads rotatably coupling it to the threaded part (it said reflector and alsohaving' a contact engageable by said contact of the battery, and means for rotating said bulb holder to adjust it axially of the threaded part of said reflector.

3. In a battery-operated hand lamp, a battery casing, an apertured reflector thereon. a battery in said casing back of said reflector, a bulbholder adjustably mounted in the aperture of the reflector, a member secured to the bulb-holder and movable to adjust the same, and means having engagement with said member between said reflector and battery, whereby ccidental displacement of the bulb-holder is prevented.

4. In a battery-operated hand lamp, a casinn. removable head adapted to be titted. upon said casing and comprising a bulb-holder mounted for longitucnal motion with respect to the reflector, an arm secured to said holder and adapted to be used in the adjustment of the same, and a rigidly mounted member having a wall with which the end of the arm has fictional engagement, whereby the bulb-holder is maintained against accidental displacement.

5. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a battery casing, a reflector member carried by said casing and having an apertured internally threaded part, an externally threaded bulb-holder member threaded into said part, a bulb carried by said holder, a battery in said casing having a contact maintained in conductive connection with a contact of said bulb, and means operatively connected to one of said members for rotating such member to effect relative axial adjustment of said reflector and said bulb-holder.

6. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a tubular battery casing, a reflector member carried by and coaxial with said casing and having a central aperture'd internally threaded part, an externally and internally threaded bulb-holder member threaded into said part, a bulb screwed into said holder, a battery in said casing having a center contact maintained conductively connected to a center contact of said bulb, and means secured to one of said members for rotating such member to effect relative axial adjustment of said reflector and bulb-holder.

7. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a tubular battery casing, a reflector carried by and coaxial with said casing and having a central aperture, an ex ternally threaded bulb-holder longitudinally movable in said aperture, a bulb carried by said holder, a battery in said casing having a contact in circuit with said bulb, and means operable to adjust said holder comprising an internally threaded member cooperating with the external threads on said holder, said holder and member being relatively rotatable. l

8. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a tubular battery casing, a reflector carried by and coaxial with said casing and having a central apertured threaded part, an externally and internally threaded rotatable bulb-holder mounted in said part and movable axially of said reflector, a bulb screwed into said holder, a bat tery in said casing having a center contact maintained in circuit with a center contact on said bulb, and means for rotating said holder.

9. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the

con'lbination of a battery casing, a reflector carried thereby having a central aperture, a battery in said casing back of said reflector, a bulbholder mounted for longitudinal movement in said aperture with respect to said reflector, and an arm operatively connected to said holder between said battery and reflector and adapted to be used in the adjustment of the holder.

10. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a battery casing, a reflector carried thereby having a central aperture, a bulb-holder mounted for rotation and longitudinal movement in said aperture with respect to said reflector, an arm operatively connected to said holder and adapted to be used in the adjustment of the latter, and means cooperating With said arm to retain said bulb-holder in any one of its various adjusted positions.

11. In a battery-operated hand lamp, the combination of a battery casing, a reflector carried thereby having a central aperture, a bulb-holder mounted for longitudinal movement in said aperture With respect to said reflector, an arm having a ring at its inner end rigidly connected to said holder, and means cooperating with the outer end of said arm to retain said bulb-holder in any of its various adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof, I alfix my signature.

LEE J. VOORHEES. 

